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Best Documentary Movies On A Long Flight From The 80S And 90S That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

Every documentary film here was chosen with a long flight in mind. These aren't algorithmically ranked, they were chosen because they actually work for this.

The best documentary movies on a long flight from the 80s and 90s that will restore your faith in humanity. Includes Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Free Solo, 13...

A long flight is one of the few times you have no choice but to sit still and actually watch a film - no phone calls, no errands, nothing to do but commit. Use it wisely.

Go back far enough and you find films that had no idea they'd become classics. The 80s and 90s produced more of them than any other era.

The best documentaries don't just inform - they change how you see something you thought you already understood.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? movie poster
1
2018 · ★★★★☆ 8.4/10

An intimate look at America's favourite neighbor and the life, lessons, and legacy of Fred Rogers.

Free Solo movie poster
2
2018 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's El Capitan.

13th movie poster
3
2016 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

An in-depth look at the US prison system and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Searching for Sugar Man movie poster
4
2012 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock musician Rodriguez.

Amy movie poster
5
2015 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

The story of Amy Winehouse, in her own words, featuring archival footage and recordings.

A great documentary doesn't tell you what to think. It shows you something true and gets out of the way.

Man on Wire movie poster
6
2008 · ★★★½☆ 7.7/10

A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, and illegal, high-wire routine performed between the World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974.

Icarus movie poster
7
2017 · ★★★½☆ 7.9/10

When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his project into a geopolitical thriller.

The Act of Killing movie poster
8
2012 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

A documentary about the 1965-66 Indonesian mass killings, in which former paramilitary leaders re-enact their crimes.

20 Feet from Stardom movie poster
9
2013 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

Backup singers discuss their careers and relationships with the stars they support.

Bowling for Columbine movie poster
10
2002 · ★★★★☆ 8.0/10

Michael Moore explores the culture of guns and violence in the United States.

There are films that remind you, without sentimentality, that people are capable of extraordinary things. These are some of them.

A great documentary is one you find yourself thinking about weeks later. These qualify.

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